Hi all, has anyone loaded 444 marlin cases for a 410 shotgun? I was thinking of useing the 2.5" load data to start with. Will a 410 plastic wad fit inside of a 444 case? I saw that midway has some 1/2" 410 fiber wads. maybe this could be used for over the powder, then shot and one on top, then a roll crimp useing 444 dies to hold it all in place.???
Then I could load them on my Dillon without any special tools.
Sounds reasonable to me. Any thoughts?
Anybody chrono'd a shotgun load? does it work?

A long time ago, I used to load a plastic capsule that was (I think) designed for the 44 Mag. In the 444, as in the 44, I was underwhelmed. A good 410 real shotgun was much better, the Savage combo was a real handy tool for farm use and plinking varmints.

If I understand your question, you are wondering if the .444 case can be used in lieu of the .410 hull for reloading? My qualified answer is that I've read of this practice several times, in print and on the Net. I have no data to offer on the project however. I don't recall that poly wads were used....

I`ve loaded for the 410 using .303 British brass blown out to give straight walls.

Unfortunately petal type wads were of no use, I used a felt wad between powder & shot, with a cardboard top wad to keep it all in place. All this was roll crimped.

I found the tightness of the roll crimp was crucial to good ignition, The tighter the better. Heard that somewhere else once or twice.

After my 1st few attempts I got it down to a pretty fine art.

I also must point out that the rim thickness of the .303 British was too thick & needed to be machined down to about half its original thickness.

I used CCI lge rifle primers & 14 gn or AR2205 or in your case in the states, 14 gn of IMR4227/H4227 pushing 1/2 ounce of number 6 shot.

As for chrony, No we didn`t feel it was worth it especially since a few days prior my mate shot the chrony with his 686 Smith trying out some really hot loads that I was a little wary of.

Anyway hope this helps

Cheers Morton

I have turned a little off the base of 7.62x54R brass and shot super hot loads in the .410.

I know the neck may split a little, and the stock will spinter at the wrist if the butt is up against a wall when the hot loads go off.

A poster on another board supplied this link
http://www.endtimesreport.com/410reloading.html
I've got a set of leather punches that will cut cardboard disks of about the right size. I ordered some plastic 410 wads from Midway along with some other stuff.
My gun will close on 444 cases without any problems. I'll have to shoot abunch and see what patterns well.

I swear! Clark cracks me up! He routinely does stuff I wouldn't even have thought of, when a young/dumb teenager. Glad he don't live next door. I'd prolly be dead, helping him with one of these "experiments"!
As far as the .444 shotshells, they work, but the star crimp is a bitch. Case life ain't worth beans, either. Have you any experience with the Speer shot capsules?

Used them years ago,and they work,just used a felst wad between powder and shot. Put a nitro card on the top with water glass and roll crimped the end with a die i made for my 45 LC birdshot shells. Classic looking when hunting with my double barrel vangunsmith

Okay, I've seen waterglass written about everywhere, but I don't know what it is or where to get some.

Sodium Silicate - http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/w1/watergla.asp
Where you get it I don't know. I use glue. Regards, Woody

quote:

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Originally posted by Lar45:
Hi all, has anyone loaded 444 marlin cases for a 410 shotgun? I was thinking of useing the 2.5" load data to start with. Will a 410 plastic wad fit inside of a 444 case? I saw that midway has some 1/2" 410 fiber wads. maybe this could be used for over the powder, then shot and one on top, then a roll crimp useing 444 dies to hold it all in place.???
Then I could load them on my Dillon without any special tools.
Sounds reasonable to me. Any thoughts?

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Why?

quote:

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Originally posted by Lar45:
Okay, I've seen waterglass written about everywhere, but I don't know what it is or where to get some.

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You can get water glass at most stores that sell pharmaceduical products. Ask the store pjeople,the directions are on the bottle. I also used it to glue odd shaped rocks to a wooded bases to cut them up when i did lapijdary work. vangunsmith

reply Why?

Lloyd Eby

1) 410 ammo is around $10 a box. 20 and 12ga is around $3.50 a box.
If I'm going to shoot alot of 410, I would rather have it be less expensive.

2) The only 410 loaders that I've found are in the $300+ range.

3) It sounds like fun.

Lar45,
I don't know if you saw it, but I read an article in the Backwoodsman Nov/Dec 2004 magazine on using .444 Marlin brass for full brass .410 loads. I was interested since my old .410 youth model single shot is my answer for the cottonmouths that like to sit in the water holes here in S.E. Texas while I do my off season whitetail scouting.

I don't own a .444 Marlin, so I ordered 20 unfired brass cases from Midway USA. I bought a set of punches from Harbor Freight Tools, for less than $4.00, and used the size 7/16 punch to punch out cardboard wads out of a cereal box.
I primed the .444 Marlin cases with CCI large pistol primers, and I loaded the cases with one scoop of Herco powder from a 1.0cc Lee measure. That gives about 8.9 grs. of Herco.
I then pushed down two of my cardboard wads, and pushed down a WAA41-410 bore wad on top of that.
You will have to trim the plastic wads down by about an 1/8 of and inch since the .444 cases are just a hair shorter than a regular 2 1/2 in .410 shell.
I then measured approx 1/2 oz. of 7 1/2 shot, and poured it into the shell.
Now, just put two more of the cardboard wads on top of the shot, and leave yourself enough room for about a 1/16 inch puddle of liquid glass.

The hardest thing for me was finding the liquid glass. Some people call it "water glass." If you run into a chemist, he will call it "sodium silicate."
I found mine at AutoZone in a product called Seal-Up. People use it to seal cracks in engine blocks, radiators, heads etc. It cost me about $5.00 for an 11 ounce bottle that will probably last me forever. It has gold metallic flakes in the clear liquid that mixes together, and you just shake it up and use a medicine dropper to seal up the end of the shot shell with enough to fill in the end of the shell. It takes about 1 - 2 hours to completely dry.

It makes a very handsome shell, and I have already shot and reloaded all 20 shells. I haven't chronographed a load, but it almost cut an empty WD40 spray can in half at about 8 yards. At 20 yards, my group was just a little smaller than a beach ball out of my full choke.

I have no doubt it will make the head of a moccasin disappear just like the store bought shells do, and I have enough shot, and Herco powder now to reload about a zillion times.

Sorry so long,
C. Davis

I tried some home cut card wads, 2400, and a 375 win case full of no. 6 shot with a card wad on top and a roll crimp from a 44 mag die. They seemed to shoot prety good. I tried chronoing them, and the velocities were close, but the factory shells kicked much harder. I had some unburned powder in the bore also. I think I'll up the powder charge.
I also got some plastic wads and will give them a try.

Try it without the roll crimp, and use the water glass to seal the end. It works perfectly. Mine dry to very solid state, and my brass should last forever. Do you seal the end of your shell?

C. Davis

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Clark:
I have turned a little off the base of 7.62x54R brass and shot super hot loads in the .410.

QUOTE]

I must also point out that the rim thickness was reduced by machining a small amount from the FRONT of the rim.
I shouldn`t have assumed that everybody would just automatically know this.
Thanks for the heads up on that CLARK.

I have held the top wad in brass shot gun cases with Elmers glue , worked fine.
Good Luck!

Why not just prime the 444 case, add your powder, insert a 410 wad, fill with shot, then insert a 44 cal. gas check upside down and roll crimp?

I don't shoot a lot of 410, but then 410 hulls don't last through to many reloadings either! I figure the 444 brass will last almost indefinitely!

Not only will this work for 410, but when hunting with my 444, I can carry a few of these along, just in case!